Friday, June 19, 2015

The Richmond
Police Department has identified the persons who were discovered last night in
a burning vehicle on the city’s south side.

They are a
male, Hector E. Gonzalez-Carabantes, 20, of the 4100 block of
Jefferson Davis Highway and a female, Leny Monroy-Membreno, 17, of the
4200 block of Lamplighter Court.

At
approximately 10:47 p.m., a passerby in the 3000 block of East Belt Boulevard
observed a vehicle on fire in the parking lot of the Hickory Hill Community
Center. The Richmond Fire Department and the Richmond Police Department
responded. After the fire was extinguished, officers found the bodies of
Gonzalez-Carabantes and Monroy-Membrenoinside the vehicle.

Autopsies,
conducted today by the Medical Examiner’s Office, showed no signs of trauma
to either person. A determination of the cause and manner of each of their
deaths may be made once toxicology tests are completed.

At this
point in the investigation, RPD detectives have found no evidence of foul play. Arson investigators will determine
the cause of the fire.

Anyone with
information is asked to call Detective Christopher Foultz at (804) 646-6996
orCrime Stoppers at 780-1000 or text Crime Stoppers at 274637,
using the key word “ITip” followed by your tip. Both Crime Stoppers methods are
anonymous.